History Characters / DiscWorld

!''[+ City Watch+ ]''

* TransformationTrauma: Subverted. Gaspode was expecting stock hollywood werewolf transformation antics. Turns out it's "like a whole-body sneeze".
** Inverted, actually...it's the people who watch it happen who get traumatized.

!''[+ Witches+ ]''

''I can't be having with this.''

!''[+ Wizards+ ]''

''Luck is my middle name. Mind you, my first name is Bad.''

* NonActionGuy
** Not if you count running as a action.

** ThrowTheDogABone: His promotion to Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography, however, seems to have taken, and he's more or less managed to work his way into the Unseen University faculty CastHerd

* He's a cross between BeleagueredAssistant and HyperCompetentSidekick to Ridcully, where although he complains about things, he's actually really happy with his position, and turns down Ridcully's offer for a promotion to Professor.

* GeniusProgramming: he made Hex, a magical multi-dimensional computer, from ''ants''.
* GoodWithNumbers: oh ''hell'' yes!
* HeroicSelfDeprecation: When he's first introduced, this trope is pretty much averted and ''inverted'', where he is an InsufferableGenius and looks down on everyone. But by the latest books his association with UU ''seems'' to have turned this around a bit, and he's just trying to keep things running. Eventually we have this conversation which plays heavily with the trope:
--> '''Ridcully''': [talking about their rival university, Brazeneck, who have created a machine suspiciously similar to Hex] But they've just called their machine Pex! Hardly a great leap of ingenuity, is it?
--> '''Ponder''': Oh, there are some significant differences. I believe he's using chickens to generate the blit diametric
--> '''Ponder''': Hmmm
--> '''Ridcully''': something wrong?
--> '''Ponder''': Oh, er, not really, Archancellor. Did the former Dean (now current archancellor of Brazeneck) mention anything about the need to totally rebuild the morphic resonator to allow for the necessary changes in the blit/slood interface?
-->'''Ridcully''': Shouldn't think so.
--> '''Ponder''': Oh. ...Well, Adrian (previous classmate of Ponder and who now works at Brazeneck) is bound to get round to that. He ''is'' very clever.
--> '''Ridcully''': Yes, but it was all based on ''your'' work. You built Hex. And now they're putting out that he's some big clever clogs. He's even on a cigarette card.
--> '''Ponder'': That's nice, sir. It's good when researchers get recognition.
** May count as a either a [[ManipulativeBastard jab at his old classmate]], or as [[CharacterizationMarchesOn a weird stab at modesty]]. Ridcully certainly seems suspicious.
*** It's the former. Recall the ending. Ponder ''knew'' what was going to happen right in that first scene, but did nothing to stop it.

''Ook.''

* OnlySaneMan: When the rest of the University has thrown away the SanityBall, the Librarian is the one who catches it.
* TheUnintelligible: He only communicates through "ook"s and the occasional "eek."
** Despite this, few characters seem to have any trouble understanding him after a little time to acclimate.

* HeroicWannabe: See especially ''Reaper Man'' and ''Soul Music''

!''[+ Death and Company+ ]''

** Meh, now he's a grandfather.

* NonHumanSidekick: Or maybe the correct term is "Zoomorphic Personification sidekick"

* AmbiguouslyHuman: anyone who deals with her on a day-to-day basis realizes this. Way back when she was a student at boarding school (before she received [[TheCallToAdventure The Call]]) she made all her teachers ''very'' nervous, even when they all [[WeirdnessCensor ignored the fact]] that she could make herself invisible and wipe her presence from their memories. By ''Thief Of Time'' this almost puts her into a HeroicBSOD as she realises that although she was mostly human to begin with, the more she moves within the realm of the occult [[BlessedWithSuck the less human she becomes.]]

* BlessedWithSuck: the more she uses her powers (which are pretty much inherent to her very being and so she really can't ''stop'' using them), the more she becomes like her granddad. (It's heavily implied that if he ever decides to retire permanently the post of Death will go to her). This is all very unfortunate because she really wants to remain human.

* GeneticMemory: she tries hard to forget it, but she remembers the future and past. She is not happy with her grandfather about this.

* ItRunsInTheFamily: and family ties are ''very'' strong. (She's the daughter of Mort, and the granddaughter of Death... nuff said).

* MindManipulation: same powers as death. Nuff said.

* SuperpowerfulGenetics: guess who gets drafted whenever Death takes a holiday?
* TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive: and it usually comes via the Death of Rats. Or Binky. Or the raven that the Death of Rats uses as transport. Or, in the case of ''Soul Music'' when her parents died in a fiery carriage accident, all three.
* TomatoIntheMirror: in ''Soul Music'', when she remembers her granddad and who she really is.
* TimeStop: One of the powers that she uses most often; she has more use for it than Death himself.

''It's no good thinking you can appeal to my better nature under this here crusty exterior, 'cos my interior's pretty damn crusty too.''

!''[+ Tiffany Aching And The Wee Free Men+ ]''

A serious, lateral thinking young witch in training, sensible and practical though prone to making mistakes due to her youth and inexperience. Matures both physically and emotionally with each book she's in. Her greatest allies are the Nac Mac Feegle or Wee Free Men, a tribe of Pictsies, little blue barbarians who were kicked out of Faerie for being too disruptive (which when you consider that Faerie essentially is the Plane of Chaos ''means something'') and Granny Weatherwax

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: gets a few of these, some of which double with his frequent CrowningMomentsOfFunny, and his (not so frequent, but very real) CrowningMomentsOfHeartwarming

* [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes Why Did It Have To Be Lawyers]]: Also (initially) literacy-phobic

!''[+ Other+ ]''

''Do not let me detain you.''

* VetinariParadox: Named for him: you'd expect that a nicer person would make the city a better place, but no replacement can possibly measure up to his skill at juggling groups that don't get along well.

''Trust me.''

** Magnficently self-Lampshaded:
---> ''"I wonder ... am I really a bastard or am I just really good at thinking like one?"''

* XanatosGambit

Cynical, chain smoking, and severe head of the Golem Trust. She is also Moist's fiance, and assisted him with the restoration of the post office by employing him Golems. Fiercely devoted to causes and doesn't take crap from anyone. Mostly because she can drive a stileto heel through their shoes ... and through [[GroinAttack other parts]].

* EmbarrassingFirstName: ...and EmbarrassingMiddleName, ''and'' EmbarrassingLastName. So Moist calls her "Spike."

* TheObiWan

''Woof bloody woof.''

''Let's just say that if complete and utter chaos was lightning, he'd be the sort to stand on a hilltop in a thunderstorm wearing wet copper armour and shouting 'All gods are bastards.' ''

* [[spoiler: [[EvilChancellor Good Chancellor]]: And probably eventually emperor]] at the end of ''Interesting Times''

''He'd always slept in front of the door to his master. And now he was king, he slept in front of the door to his kingdom.''

His initial appearance in ''Wyrd Sisters'' was as [[spoiler:the court Fool]], and his name was unknown until Magrat used magic to find it out. He ended up on the throne of Lancre after the usurper Duke Felmet, more or less because no one else was better qualified or interested in the job, and possibly something to do with that mysterious ''droit de signeur'' business. Verence is small, shy and unassuming, and his subjects are amiably indifferent to him, provided he looks appropriately kingly at ceremonies and doesn't interfere with their lives too much. He eventually married Magrat in ''Lords and Ladies.''

Ankh-Morpork's leading aristocrat (Vetinari doesn't count and as for has for the current Duke of Ankh...). Rust is a starched, snobbish and ridiculously pompous individual with an abiding and entirely mutual hatred towards Sam Vimes. Led Ankh-Morpork during the brief war with Klatch in ''{{Discworld/Jingo}}'' where he displayed all the military genius you might expect. Apparently dated Sybil Ramkin in her youth.

!C.M.O.T. (Cut Me Own Throat) Dibbler
''Twenty pence and that's cutting me own throat.''

* [[strike:CMOTDibbler]] {{Honest Johns Dealership}}: The trope was, alas, renamed.

!''[+ One-book Wonders+ ]''

* AnthropomorphicPersonification
* BlankSlate: Arguably suffers from "dull protagonist" syndrome (but then, who ''wouldn't'' look dull alongside Lu Tze and Susan?) until his [[AGodAmI upgrade]].
* AGodAmI: At the end of ''Discworld/ThiefOfTime''.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Technically he just wants to stay ''partly'' normal, he could "just know" absolutely ''anything'' he wanted to know at any given instant because he [[spoiler:is Time itself personified and sees all potential possibilities]], but he claims he has to do things "the right way round" to stay partly human.

* AdaptationDistillation: Say what you will about the movie adaptation as a whole, their version of Teatime was so disturbingly convincing that it's likely to color your perception of him forever afterward.

''The truth has got its boots on. It's going to start kicking.''

The iconographer (picture taker) at the ''Times.'' A native of Uberwald who moved to the Big Wahooni (Ankh-Morpork, that is), Otto is a card-carrying member of the Black Ribbon society (vampires who have sworn off human "b-vord"). He has the slightly crazed edge of a born killer who has found something else to divert his energy -- namely, taking iconographs. Unfortunately, as vampires are sensitive to bright light, he tends to be turned to dust by his own flash when he takes pictures ... but fortunately, a drop of blood on his remains will restore him immediately. Otto has started wearing a small container of blood to make sure he auto-resurrects on the job. Made short appearances in ''Discworld/{{Thud}}!'' and ''Discworld/MonstrousRegiment''.

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: He looks and acts like a small, meek iconographer, but he is still a vampire with all the abilities that implies.

* TheWoobie: William describes thinking of not hiring him as kicking a puppy.

A young girl in the war-torn country of Borogravia, Polly Perks eventually goes against the religious abominations against women fighting and wearing men's clothing to try and find her brother, who had marched into battle a year before. Polly, as Oliver Perks, quickly grasps the basics of being a soldier, even in a motley squad consisting of two [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean unusually close]] 'friends', an Igor, a troll, a vampire, a religious fanatic, a wet behind the ears commander, and a legendary and mysteriously long-tenured sergeant. [[AndZoidberg Oh, and Shufti too.]]

* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: averted. although she spends most of fifth elephant wearing a pink jumper, describing her as anything close to the token girl is bound to land you in a * lot* of trouble.
* ExpectingSomeoneTaller: Debatable whether it was intentional, but in ''Discworld/UnseenAcademicals'' the mild-looking Lady Margolotta is confused with her much more haughty-looking assistant.
* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking : well AntiVillain smoking anyway.
* InterspeciesRomance: the jury's still out on this one.

* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: averted. although she spends most of fifth elephant wearing a pink jumper, describing her as anything close to the token girl is bound to land you in a * lot* of trouble.
* WomanInBlack: in unseen academicals anyway. in the fifth elphant ... not so much.
* VampireVords : initialy had them in fifth elephant, she seems to have lost them by the time unseen Academicals came around.

!Maurice

Maurice is a talking cat, with a cat's ego and self-interest, and something of a feline equivalent of Gaspode who has a softer heart than he's willing to admit even to himself. Title character of ''The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents.''

* ShameIfSomethingHappened: Two of his henchmen attempt this on Vimes, but Chrysophrase later assures him that it was entirely their own idea and it's implied that [[YouHaveFailedMe he had the offending henchmen killed and dismembered]].

The head of Unseen University's Night Kitchen

* BuxomIsBetter: inverted. She's quite curvy, but the only character who seems to notice in any positive sense is Nutt, and she's considered a bit homely (although pleasant looking) compared to her friend Juliet.
* PluckyGirl: She marches into the Patricians Palace and harangues Vetinari. And gets away with it! Twice! And the second time he's with Lady Margolotta.

* YoungerThanTheyLook: is mistaken for Juliet's mother at one point, although her attitude probably had a lot to do with it.

* RefusedTheCall: Repeatedly, as he promised his mum he wouldn't play after his father died playing football.

A "goblin" employed downstairs at Unseen University at the bequest of Lord Vetinari, who is keeping him safe for Lady Margolotta. A fast learner and extremely skilled and diligent at everything he does (''Discworld/UnseenAcademicals'' includes instances of alchemy, philosophy, and trades like leatherwork and smithing), and talks as nobby as the wizards upstairs.

* FantasticRacism: Even in Ankh-Morporkh [[spoiler: Orcs]] are disliked and distrusted.
* [[spoiler: HyperactiveMetabolism: possible explanation for why he got so hungry after coming back to life at the hospital.]]
* [[spoiler: OurOrcsAreDifferent]]

* RaisedByWolves: He spent the first seven years of his life chained to an anvil, and after that, he was pretty much raised by books. So you can't blame him for sometimes sharing TooMuchInformation and using language that flies over almost everyone's heads.

A fashion designer, and Madame Sharn's partner. [[spoiler: Behind the camp, he's a self-described bastard and old bugger. He is not above responding to evil with knives in dark alleys where better people would stop at just words.]]

* DepravedHomosexual: subverted; she and Pepe come across this way (he scolds her for laying it on a bit thick), but they're actually harmless
** Ah, I know what you mean, but Pepe isn't exactly harmless...

** He ''is'' actually a wizard, however - he can, for instance, see octarine and Death. He just happens to be entirely inept at spells.
* InsistentTerminology: Rincewind defines himself as a wizard, never mind his complete lack of magical talent.

** He has also set up his own VetinariParadox several times: the most obvious is in in The Fifth Elephant when he leaves to peruse Angua and Fred Colon is left in charge, the watch falls apart. Not suppressing given that [[ForegoneConclusion it's Fred Colon]], but Vetinari lampshades that as everyone knows Vimes and Carrot will be back soon, no criminals take advantage of the watch’s self destruction for fear of their wrath. The book ends with Carrot very politely bullying the collapsed watch back into shape by reminding them they swore an oath to the king to do their duty... when ''Vetinari'' has trouble reading your motives and says things like "you drive a head bargain captain" and you can reply "I wasn’t aware I was driving a bargain at all, Sir." ''and live''you probably HAVE to be TheChessmaster, albeit probably a benevolent one.

--> '''Ponder''': Oh. ...Well, Adrian (previous disciple of Ponder and now works at Brazeneck) is bound to get round to that. He ''is'' very clever.

** May count as a either a [[ManipulativeBastard jab at his old disciple]], or as [[CharacterizationMarchesOn a weird stab at modesty]]. Ridcully certainly seems suspicious.

* CharacterizationMarchesOn: from InsufferableGenius crossed with TooCleverByHalf (none of the wizards take all his brilliant accomplishments at the High Magic tower seriously), he goes through a BreakTheHaughty and has now become the BeleaguredBureaucrat cross HyperCompetentSidekick who effectively runs ''everything'' in UU.

** Despite this, few characters seem to have any trouble understanding him after a little time to acclimate.

* He's a cross between BeleagueredAssistant and HyperCompetentSidekick to Ridcully, where although he complains about things, he's actually really happy with his position, and turns down Ridcully's offer for a promotion to Professor.

* HeroicSelfDeprecation: while pretty much the exact ''opposite'' of this trope when he's first introduced, by the latest books his association with UU ''seems'' to have turned this around a bit, as we have this conversation:

** May count as a either a [[ManipulativeBastard huge political manipulation ploy]], or as [[CharacterizationMarchesOn genuine modesty]]. Time will tell which.

* AmbiguouslyHuman: anyone who deals with her on a day-to-day basis realizes this. Way back when she was a student at boarding school (before she received [[TheCallToAdventure The Call]]) she made all her teachers ''very'' nervous, even when they all [[CassandraTruth ignored the fact]] that she could make herself invisible and wipe her presence from their memories. By ''Thief Of Time'' this almost puts her into a HeroicBSOD as she realises that although she was mostly human to begin with, the more she moves within the realm of the occult [[BlessedWithSuck the less human she becomes.]]

* AmbiguouslyHuman: anyone who deals with her on a day-to-day basis realizes this. The ability to walk at right angles through space and time, manipulate their minds etc. gives her away. Even she realises that although she was mostly human to begin with, the more she moves within the realm of the occult [[BlessedWithSuck the less human she becomes.]]

* BlessedWithSuck: the more she uses her power (which are pretty much inherent to her being and so she really can't ''stop'' using them), the more she becomes like her granddad. (It's heavily implied that if he ever decides to retire permanently the post of Death will go to her).

* RefusalOfTheCall: she ''really'' hates the fact that the call knows where she lives and keeps battering down her door when the universe, space, or time is in danger. By ''Thief Of Time'' she's become more or less ResignedToTheCall but she is ''not'' happy about it.

* TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive: and it usually comes via the Death of Rats. Or Blinky. Or the raven that the Death of Rats uses as transport. Or, in the case of ''Soul Music'' when her parents died in a fiery carriage accident, all three.

* InTheBlood: In the ''bone'', actually.

* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Paul Kidby draws Vimes as Clint Eastwood. Melvyn Grant draws him as Pete Postlethwaite, who Pterry reportedly would prefer.

** According to [[WordOfGod Pterry]], "While most people know there's a werewolf in the Watch, most people think it's Nobby, for obvious reasons."

* MagicalNanny: In ''Discworld/{{Hogfather}}''. Pterry calls her "kind of a goth MaryPoppins."

<<|CharacterSheets|>>

A young girl in the war-torn country of Borogravia, Polly Perks eventually goes against the religious abominations against women fighting and wearing men's clothing to try and find her brother, who had marched into battle a year before. Polly, as Oliver Perks, quickly grasps the basics of being a soldier, even in a motley squad consisting of two [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean unusually close]] 'friends', an Igor, a troll, a vampire, a religious fanatic, and a legendary and mysteriously long-tenured sergeant.

Ankh-Morpork's leading aristocrat (Vetinari doesn't count and as for has for the current [[SoYeah Duke of Ankh]]...). Rust is a starched, snobbish and ridiculously pompous individual with an abiding and entirely mutual hatred towards Sam Vimes. Led Ankh-Morpork during the brief war with Klatch in ''{{Jingo}}'' where he displayed all the military genius you might expect. Apparently dated Sybil Ramkin in her youth.

* DeadpanSnarker: People live in fear of the mere possibiility of Vetinari getting sarcastic at them.

* FriendToAllLivingThings: Has a fondness for pigeons (and some of them ironically become the gargoyle members of the Watch's meals.)

* TheStoic: Again, racial characteristic
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Pigeons

* CrazyAwesome: Attacking a TROLL, of all things, with your teeth is pretty insane, especially when you remember trolls are living ROCKS.

* {{BBW}}: she's described that, if a valkyrie can carry off one hero at a time, this one could sweep off an entire batallion

* HappilyMarried
* LetsGetDangerous
* MamaBear: Not ''quite'' as dangerous as her husband when the family is threatened, because Sybil is genteel and well-bred. However, she also comes from a line of lords reaching back to the days when "nobility" meant "he who can kill the greatest number of enemies." As befitting a noblewoman, Sybil's weapons of choice are words and gestures. But making her angry is not a good idea.

* OldRetainer

* TheSpock: Even at his most heartwarming, and like all Golems, tends towards RaisedByWolves (and AwesomeByAnalysis).

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: "Words In The Heart Can Not Be Taken"
* {{Determinator}}: Like other {{Discworld}} golems, Dorfl is fireproof, super-strong, nearly indestructible, and doesn't need to sleep, rest, or eat.

* FlatEarthAtheist (a very literal example)

* TheSpock: even at his most heartwarming, and like all Golems, tends towards RaisedByWolves (and AwesomeByAnalysis)

* BunnyEarsLawyer (Like most vampires, she substituted her taste for blood for a talent at being a copper, and despite her blood sensing abilities creeping out her coworkers, proves to be very effective at the job)
* GenreSavvy (Lampshades a lot of the preconceived notions of about vampires and subverts almost all of them knowingly)
* LoveTriangle (Expressed interest in Carrot, making Angua go ClingyJealousGirl)

* VitriolicBestBuds (She and Angua seem to be [[FireForgedFriends heading in this direction]], much to the latter's chagrin)
--> "We are not ''bonding'', okay? I am not a bondage sort of person!"

A female Watch officer, love interest for Carrot, and resident werewolf. Probably one of the most formidable Watch members and her werewolf skills make her very useful, but she has to deal with an entire city getting GenreSavvy about it. (though they all think Nobby is the werewolf)

* BrokenBird

* DeadpanSnarker

* BileFascination: "There something strangely compelling about the little tit." “What do you mean?” "He's got Charisn'tma: He's so vile he actually fascinates people"
* {{Gonk}}

** According to Pterry, "While most people know there's a werewolf in the Watch, most people think it's Nobby, for obvious reasons."

* ThoseTwoGuys: with Fred Colon.

*** Nobby actually strains the powers of Narrative Causality which state that any plain male, when wearing women's clothing will be seem attractive, a very rare occurrence in Discworld.

* HappilyMarried: and with several children as well. Despite the fact that he and his wife work different shifts in the day and only communicate with notes. (Vimes speculates that their children have been born as the result of "particularly persuasive handwriting".)
* TheNeidermeyer: in ''Discworld/TheFifthElephant''
* NonActionGuy: If he can possibly get away with it.

* ThoseTwoGuys: with Nobby.

* TheAce

** He has also set up his own VetinariParadox several times: the most obvious is in in The Fifth Elephant when he leaves to peruse Angua and Fred Colon is left in charge, the watch falls apart. Not suppressing given that [[ForegoneConclusion it's Fred Colon]], but Vetinari lampshades that as everyone knows Vimes and Carrot will be back soon, no criminals take advantage of the watch’s self destruction for fear of their wrath. The book ends with Carrot very politely bullying the collapsed watch back into shape by reminding them they swore an oath to the king to do their duty... when ''Vetinari'' has trouble reading your motives and says things like "you drive a head bargain captain" and you can reply "I wasn’t aware I was driving a barging at all, Sir." ''and live''you probably HAVE to be TheChessmaster, albeit probably a benevolent one.

* BluntMetaphorsTrauma

** Actually, Pratchett himself has stated that he intended Carrot to be the main character from the beginning, but Vimes pretty much took over the story, lending credence to the "stories write themselves, the author is just the conduit" theory.

* TheGoodCaptain

* HappilyAdopted (Once he wraps his head around the fact he WAS adopted)

* ObliviousAdoption
* ParodySue

* WantonCrueltyToTheCommonComma: The trope name comes from Vimes's description of his reports. Though very intelligent in certain ways, Carrot never really got the hang of writing. Vimes describes his approach to writing as "ballistic".

* AddictionDisplacement: from alcohol to tobacco.
* AntiHero

* TheCombatPragmatist: learned from his mentor Sergeant John Keel...[[spoiler:in one timeline, at least]].

* CowboyCop

* LawfulGood: Yes. Lawful Good and an antihero at the same time. Vimes is amazing.